Former Undersecretary of Defense Robert Wilkie warned on Newsmax's "Saturday Agenda" that ISIS should be viewed as a global ideological movement rather than a conventional border-based threat, arguing it draws strength from extremist religious interpretations and operates through a web of aligned groups.
In the interview, Wilkie described ISIS as an offshoot organization that he said is "allied with groups like Hamas."
Wilkie framed the broader challenge as confronting Islamist extremism beyond any single conflict zone, including violence linked to ISIS affiliates in places such as Nigeria.
He argued the West has failed to respond forcefully enough to radicalization, pointing to incidents of antisemitic intimidation and unrest he cited in the U.S. and Europe.
Wilkie also tied the issue to immigration policy, saying that President Donald Trump is working to correct the problem.
"We've allowed, particularly in this country and in the West, migration without integration. We've brought people in who fundamentally despise us, who want to destroy us, destroy the West," Wilkie said.
He said confronting ISIS-linked movements requires a sustained campaign, and suggested recent U.S. actions send a deterrent message that American forces retain the ability to strike targets and to keep pressure on extremist networks.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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